Another Suicide Attack In Afghanistan
A deadly suicide attack struck Kabul when an unidentified attacker detonated his explosives outside the country’s Supreme Court, killing at least 20 people.
CNN says the suicide bomber detonated his explosives outside the court’s parking lot at around 3:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
The incident left at least 41 people wounded, including 10 of them in critical condition.
There have been no initial claims of responsibility.
Targeting Supreme Court Employees
According to Basir Mojahid, spokesman for Kabul’s chief of police, the suicide bombing targeted Supreme Court employees as they were leaving for the day.
Passersby who were leaving for work were also victims of the deadly attack.
The attack is the latest in a series of attacks on the country’s judiciary.
Who Are The Culprits?
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which many say bore the hallmarks of the Taliban. The extremist group has been notorious for its insurgency activities and bombings in the muslim country.
The latest incident was not the first time the country’s judiciary was the main target of an attack. In fact, the Taliban, who have been at war with the U.S.-backed government for 15 years, have increasingly targeted the judiciary since six convicted insurgents were executed in May.
The executions triggered the extremist group to retaliate. Following the executions, a suicide bomber targeted a minibus carrying court employees in Kabul during the morning rush hour, killing 11 people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was a form of revenge.
In June, three Taliban fighters stormed a court building in eastern Logar province, killing seven people, including a newly appointed chief prosecutor, before being shot dead by police.
Suicide Attack Draws Condemnation
The suicide attack was strongly condemned by the country’s President Ashraf Ghani, which he blamed on the “enemies of our people.” In addition, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul called it “an attack on the very foundation of Afghan democracy and rule of law.”
NATO also strongly condemned the attack.
Italian army Lt. Gen. Rosario Castellano, deputy commander of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, said in a statement, “Anyone who seeks to destabilize the pillars of a functioning government are enemies of Afghanistan.”
